Hi, I’m Skip La Cour—and I’m here to make this whole fitness journey a lot easier for you.
After decades in the gym, learning what works (and what doesn’t), I don’t want to flood you with every last bit of fitness trivia I’ve ever learned. I’ve got a lot of knowledge—but most of it just isn’t useful for busy men like you and me. I want to share only the strategies that truly matter for men who are a little older, with busy, productive lives, families to support, and a legacy to build.
This is Lesson #19 of 30 in my “30 Lessons in 30 Days” series—and today we’re talking about time-saving workout strategies that pack real results into less time at the gym. Because let’s face it: you don’t have hours to waste doing stuff that doesn’t move the needle. You need every rep, every set, every minute to count.
How You Work Out Matters More Than How Much You Work Out
Many men finally get to the point in life where they want to prioritize their health and fitness—but they don’t have an infinite amount of time. Maybe they can only train three days a week, or 30 minutes a session. That’s totally fine—if you know how to train smart.
It’s not what you do in the gym—it’s how you do it. That’s what makes the difference between spinning your wheels and actually building the strong, lean, energized body you want.
Here are some of the most effective—and often misunderstood—time-saving tips I use with my coaching clients to help them make the absolute most of every workout.
1. Only Warm Up Once for Each Body Part
Let’s say you’re training chest and you start with flat bench press. Of course, you want to warm up properly—especially as we get older. Safety, preparation, and making sure your body is ready for the real work is crucial. You gradually pyramid up until you hit your heavy, progressive overload sets—those are the sets that count.
But once your chest is warmed up from that first movement? You’re good to go. You do not need to do multiple warm-up sets for your next chest exercise. Whether it’s incline dumbbell presses, machine presses, or flyes—jump straight into your heavy working sets. Save time, save energy, and get more quality reps in where it really matters.
2. Stop Duplicating Exercises That Hit the Same Angle
It’s tempting to think that doing more exercises for the same muscle group means more growth. But many guys waste time repeating the same movement pattern in slightly different ways, thinking they’re “covering all angles.”
Example: You do incline dumbbell press, then incline barbell press, then incline machine press, then incline flyes. You’re not giving your upper chest more stimulation—you’re just spinning your wheels. One or two well-executed incline movements are plenty. Then move on.
Variety is good—but duplication is not. Focus on quality, not quantity. Choose a few smart, distinct exercises that challenge your body in different ways. Put everything into those. You’ll get far better results in less time.
3. Choose Any Rep Range—Just Make It Hurt
You’ve heard the debates: 6–8 reps for mass, 8–12 for hypertrophy, 12–15 for tone. Here’s the truth: they all work if you push them hard enough. There’s no magic number.
What matters most is this: You can’t do any more when the set ends. Whether it’s the 6th rep or the 15th rep, you must hit that point of challenge and overload. That’s when muscle is built. The rep range should match your comfort and confidence—but the intensity has to be there. Otherwise, you’re just going through the motions.
Execution. Intensity. Effort. That’s what counts.
So here’s the takeaway:
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You only need to warm up once per body part.
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Don’t waste time duplicating similar exercises.
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Pick any rep range—but make the set count.
If you apply just these three principles, you’ll get better results in less time. You’ll save energy for what actually matters. You’ll be training like a man who knows what he’s doing.
Let’s Connect! At the end of this article, you’ll have the chance to connect with me directly, get your most pressing questions answered, and receive personalized help. Just text me your picture and fill out the questionnaire at the bottom.
Want Me to Design This All For You?
I can help you put all of this together into a structured, efficient plan that fits your life. I work with men from all over the world—from one-on-one sessions to full 12-week Total Transformation Journeys. And some of my most committed clients keep working with me long after that, because they see the results.
If you’re a man who wants a clear, simplified path to building muscle, burning fat, and getting your energy back, reach out. We’ll talk about what the best plan is for you.
Email me directly at [email protected]Or text me at 925-352-4366
Thank you for being here for Lesson #19 in our “30 Lessons in 30 Days” series. I hope these tips are helping you save time, gain muscle, and get control of your fitness again.
Lesson #20 drops tomorrow—don’t miss it!
Skip La Cour
Workouts for Older Men
Text me at 925-352-4366
Take These Two Easy Steps
1. Text Me Your Picture and Introduce Yourself. Text me a picture at 925-352-4366 so I can see where your body is now. I’ll be able to help you even better. A picture does indeed tell me a “1,000 words” and we’ll be more efficient with our time when we speak on the phone. Whatever you feel comfortable with is fine. I can tell a lot even with your shirt one.
2. Fill Out The Questionnaire Below. This questionnaire will help me learn more about you. Not only will it help me learn more about you and better serve your needs, it will help you gain more clarity as to what you want and what may be stopping you from getting it.
Expect me to reach out to you very soon. I’ll contact you by text, phone call, or email.